In today's world of college athletics, it is difficult to imagine a time when athletes could not seamlessly transfer from one school to another. But by implementing the transfer portal in 2018, the NCAA has created this reality as thousands of athletes look to transfer to new colleges to participate on their athletic teams each year. This includes high-profile college athletes such as Caleb Williams, who transferred from Oklahoma to USC, and the Cavinder twins, who went from Fresno State to Miami. 

Transfer Portal Timeline

Prior to 2018, if a college athlete wanted to transfer to another school and continue playing, they would have to get the permission of their current coach. Obviously, many coaches didn't want to see their players leave and potentially end up on opposing or rival teams, which resulted in frequent refusals. Athletes could appeal these refusals multiple times, but if never granted, an athlete couldn't receive athletic financial aid if they chose to enroll at a new school. If the request was approved by the coach, athletes would need their school's compliance officers to reach out to all the schools they were interested in transferring to and fill out extensive paperwork sent back by these new schools. This made it incredibly difficult for players to find ways to end up on new teams elsewhere. 

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

Now, athletes can simply speak with their school's NCAA compliance officer and ask to be put into the transfer portal without ever having to speak with their coach. The portal serves as a database consisting of the information about all athletes who are exploring the idea of transferring for their next season. Once the compliance officer enters them into the portal, an athlete can begin to be contacted by other schools. At the Division I level alone in 2022, 11,902 athletes who entered the transfer portal transferred to another school with NCAA athletics. This number is especially telling about the popularity of the transfer portal considering only about half of the athletes who enter the portal end up enrolling at a different school.

Rules are Rules

There have also been some rule changes surrounding the transfer portal since its creation. Before April 2021, college athletes who transferred had to redshirt for one year, meaning they couldn't participate in games. In 2022, however, the NCAA terminated this rule, allowing athletes to immediately be eligible to compete if transferring for the first time.

In August 2022, another new rule was enacted by the NCAA that impacted the transfer process. Now, college athletes can only enter the transfer portal during certain windows. For fall and spring sports, the window is 45 days following a sport's championship selection, which is the time when bowl games are announced or NCAA tournament brackets are released. Winter sports have a 60-day transfer window that begins after championship selection. 

Related: How Does the Transfer Portal Work? 3 Things You Need To Know

Even more recently, the NCAA adjusted the transfer portal rules surrounding transferring for a second time. As of January 2023, undergraduate athletes who enter the transfer portal for a second time must sit out a year upon enrolling at a new school unless meeting certain requirements. These requirements include transferring following an illness, injury, or mental health condition or “exigent circumstances,” such as physical or sexual abuse. Those transferring solely due to playing time will be forced to redshirt for a season.

Despite being created in 2018, it is clear that the transfer portal is constantly evolving. Regardless of the recent rule changes, though, it is clear that the portal itself has made the lives of athletes looking for a change of scenery much simpler and easier. 

Have an idea for a story or a question you need answered? Want to set up an interview with us? Email us at [email protected]

* Originally published on March 9, 2023, by Owen Roche